


Stiles, the Flu, and the Secretly Not Actually That Grumpy Roommate

by marchismo



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-05
Updated: 2015-04-05
Packaged: 2018-03-21 10:35:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,642
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3689046
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/marchismo/pseuds/marchismo
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stiles and Derek are college roommates for the first time. They get off to a rocky start. Stiles gets sick with the flu and Derek does something unexpected...</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stiles, the Flu, and the Secretly Not Actually That Grumpy Roommate

**Week 1**  
  
Stiles walks into his new dorm nervous about who he might get stuck with for a roommate. He was lucky enough as a freshman to get into an honors dorm where there were mostly seniors. He was one of only 5 guys whose grades and placement tests awarded him the luxury. He fumbles with his key. He opens the door juggling a box in one hand. His new roommate’s back is turned and he goes to introduce himself.  
  
“Hi, I’m Stiles.”  
  
The stranger spins around to see and several things happen in quick succession: Stiles drops his box, curses, and then pulls a very ugly face.

Stiles pulls a very ugly face because Derek Hale who tormented him his freshmen year of high school as captain of the lacrosse team is standing in front of him.  
  
Derek returns his ugly look with furrowed brow of irritation. “There must be a mistake, Stilinski. This is a senior dorm.”  
  
“Honors dorm, actually,” says Stiles. “And I’m one of 5 freshmen who qualified.”  
  
Derek is impressed in spite of himself. He raises and eyebrow and nods. Stiles is caught off guard by the compliment. Can you call that a compliment? He decides yes it’s a compliment.  
  
“Your room is on the left. This is our common area.” Derek points to door first, then a wood and vinyl looking futon from the 80s and two built in desks, one of which Derek is hovering over. “The bathroom we share you have to enter through the bedroom. Keep it clean and we wont have any problems.”  
  
“Fine.” Stiles says slightly more harsh than he means to. Derek raises his eyebrows. Stiles has the decency or is that fear enough - to look sheepish.

He slumps off with his box to his bedroom. He’s worried as he sets his box down. Here is Derek Hale who had vied for attention in his wet dreams with Lydia Martin. Derek was enough of a jerk to kill every boner his looks had ever caused Stiles though. He shrugged that off. Stiles second worry was that Stiles’ bedroom at home was always clean; however,  his bathroom on the other hand was a place where he knew he was an unmitigated slob. Toothpaste on the mirror, towels on the floor and he occasionally forgot to flush… gross, he even agrees but it’s true. When you are trying to beat your highest score in Tetris… you sometimes forget those important little things. Well, worst case scenario, he tries to make it work with Derek for a couple of weeks and if it doesn’t work out he asks to be reassigned.  
  
Stiles unpacks bringing 3 more boxes in and unpacking each in turn. He didn’t bring much, he wanted to start fresh so he has the basics, Star Wars sheet and comforter set (his dad is still laughing about him picking that out for his college bed), clothes, a few books and pictures of him and Scott, plus him and his mom and dad.  
  
He starts looking at his class schedule for Monday and a small panic sets in. He’s not worried about class. He know’s he’s pretty smart. He’s not really sure what he’s worried about.  
  


*

The weekend passes in a blur and his Monday classes come and go with no drama. Stiles’ life is non-eventful until Thursday when Derek explodes.  
  
“What the hell is this?” He walks in carrying 5 damp towels and dropping them on Stiles’ room floor.  
  
Stiles’ looks up from his bed, looking a little sheepish.

Derek glowers at him. “All I asked that you do when you moved in is keep the bathroom clean. There is toothpaste on the wall, deodorant on my hand towel and what is that yellow paste all in the sink?”

“Oh, it’s my hair gel,” Stiles’ says proudly. “You don’t think my hair looks this awesome by itself do you?”  
  
“I don’t care two shits about your hair products? I’m about to go to class. I won’t be back till after dinner. I expect for the bathroom to be clean when I get back.” Derek stomps out of Stiles’ room and Stiles just sits there nonplussed.

Then he hears the door to their room slam and he jumps slightly. He know’s he’s wrong, but still he is pissed. He just doesn’t want to admit it especially after Derek’s little tantrum.

He decides that he will be the bigger person. Then he get’s an idea and he smirks to himself. He heads into the bathroom pulls the cleaning supplies from under the cabinet and goes to town scrubbing. When he’s done every surface of the bathroom is spotless and the whole place smells fresh. Now for the special touch. Stiles hopes he’s able to get to the grocery store and back to their room without being caught. He puts a huge bouquet of flowers on Derek’s side of the bathroom counter in a large glass vase. On Stiles side of the counter, he plugs in a potpourri warmer and adds a handful of wax disks. The floral smell is sickening. Stiles heads to the cafeteria for dinner and comes back to his room to finish reading his assignment. When he opens the room door walking back in Derek is waiting there for him.  
  
“Flowers? You bought me flowers?”  
  
Stiles snorts. “No I bought flowers for OUR bathroom, but if you like them I can pick you up some. Although, I might have expectations if I start buying you flowers.”  
  
Derek snorts eyebrows furrowed. He looks over his shoulder and then his whole demeanor changes. His shoulders fall, completely relaxed. “Sorry.”  
  
“Wha?!” Stiles says stupidly mouth open.  
  
Derek is not amused. “Sorry, I overreacted about the bathroom. I should not have yelled.”

Stiles shrugs. “My dad is the Sheriff I’m used to loud talking, especially when it comes to my bathroom cleanliness habits.”  
  
Derek snorts at this.  
  
“Look I’m not a complete slob, I just think that the bathroom is one of those places where I struggle. I usually wait till the end of the week and then clean it up. I am also not used to sharing. I will try my best to do better. I got a drying rack for my room where I can toss my towels. The other stuff… I will do my best to try and do a mid week scrub down. I think that’s the best I can offer.”  
  
Derek rolls his eyes. “I don’t expect perfection in a room mate. Thanks for cleaning the bathroom and again I’m sorry.”  
  
Stiles grins. “Does this mean you will watch Star Wars with me now?”  
  
“What do you think?”  
  
Stiles smile falters but then he says an unconvincing and drawn out “Yeeaaaassss?”  
  
Derek shakes his head and walks back to his bedroom and just barely manages to NOT slam the door.

***

 **Week 2**  
  
The next week goes by just as quickly. Stiles keeps to his word and Wednesday he wipes down all the surfaces in the bathroom as Derek walks past him to go to the loo closet (that’s what Stiles calls it) Derek nods appreciatively at Stiles handiwork.  
  
  
Friday comes and Stiles’ is wiped. He guesses that it’s just the first couple weeks anxiety and build up draining out of him. He crashes hard Friday night and wakes up Saturday morning feeling like he stepped in front of a bus. He is achy, his nose is burning, his eyes are stinging his throat feels swollen. He stumbles to the bathroom retrieves a tumbler and glass of water and looks at himself in the mirror. “Oh shit. I’m sick.”

He crawls back into bed and dozes on and off feeling achy and miserable.  
  
Sunday morning there is a knock on his door. Stiles tries to rasp out ‘come in’ but his mouth is so dry.

Derek walks in. “Stiles do you wanna grab some break… Stilinski what’s wrong with you?”  
  
“I’m sick.” Stiles wheezes out.  
  
“Obviously.” Derek says but his tone is not sarcastic. “How long have you been like this?”  
  
“What time is it?” Stiles says.  
  
“8:30. I was coming to ask you if you wanted breakfast. I didn’t hear a peep out of you all day yesterday. I wanted to take you to eat to make up for being a jerk about the bathroom.”  
  
“...”  
  
“Wait you haven’t been in here since yesterday have you?”  
  
“What is today?” Stiles says.  
  
“Sunday.” Derek says his concern obviously growing.  
  
“Shit.” Stiles says, “I have 3 assignments due Monday and I haven’t even started.”  
  
“Stiles you’ve got bigger problems if you have not moved from this bed in almost 24 hours. I’m calling your dad.”  
  
“No, don’t!” Stiles’ says.  
  
Derek looks at him.  
  
“My dad didn’t want me to go to school this far away. He is already panicked enough. If he finds out I’m sick then that will just be one more reason for him to make me come home or go to school closer to home.”  
  
Derek looks unconvinced but changes tact quickly. “Can you dress yourself?”  
  
“Yes.” Stiles says annoyed. He’s sick not 3. Before he can wonder why…  
  
“Well get dressed. I’m driving you over to the student clinic.”  
  
Stiles sheepishly steps out of bed wearing jeans and a t-shirt, though he has clearly sweated through the shirt.  
  
“Really?!” Derek says.  
  
“Let me change shirts and find my shoes.”  
  
Derek waits at the door watching stiles shuffle around with a fair amount of concern on his face.  
  
Stiles’ climbs into Derek’s car and they are at the clinic in 3 min. Stiles’ feels nauseous getting out of Derek’s car and is grateful he didn’t get sick IN Derek’s car.  
  
Derek is waiting for Stiles’ when he comes back out of the waiting room. “What did they say?”  
  
“I have the Flu.”  
  
Derek’s face goes white. “Stiles that’s serious. I really think you need to call your dad.”  
  
“No!” Stiles says, “I’ll be fine, the nurse said I just needed rest and fluids, plenty of fluids.”  
  
“Fine, but I think you should let your Dad know.”  
  
Stiles doesn’t care for Derek’s opinion. He’s only been here two weeks and doesn’t want to end up in argument with his Dad about transferring back to a college near Beacon Hills over something as stupid as the flu.  
  
Derek sees Stiles’ resolve and stops arguing. He drives Stiles’ back to their dorm. He leaves stiles in his bed and comes back an hour and a half later with a case of grape flavored Gatorade, saltines and a mask.  
  
Stiles snorts with laughter, but it hurts all over when he does. Derek piles the supplies up by his bed and sits there (wearing that damn mask) while stiles drinks half of a gatorade in front of him. Derek disappears into the bathroom and comes back a second later carrying a garbage can that he places by Stiles bed. Stiles’ notes that Derek is now also wearing rubber gloves. He wants to laugh but it gets lost somewhere in an achy shudder. Derek begins picking up clothes and towels from his room and tossing them into a hamper.

“I’m going to do some laundry. I wont be back for a while, but when I do I want to see that Gatorade bottle finished.”  
  
Stiles wants to be angry, he knows Derek is used to barking orders at him as Stiles’ former lacrosse captain, but this isn’t lacrosse anymore. However, he sees no point in arguing over this since Derek is trying to help.

He nods a yes and Derek disappears, closing the door.  
  
Two hours later Stiles wakes up to hearing a can of aerosol spray then the sickly chemical smell of Lysol.

Derek asks him how he is doing. Stiles’ nods fine and says something about classes.

Then he realizes something doesn’t add up. Derek just left to go do laundry. He says he’ll check up on him after class and to drink more gatorade. Stiles’ nods again and rolls over.

  
***

**Unexpected**

  
Stiles is laying in a strange bed slightly groggy. A woman in scrubs walks in and says he gave his roommate quite a scare. She checks his IV. Oh apparently he has an IV. OH SHIT! … wait...oh, oh god... he’s in the hospital…? Some of the events of the last few hours flashback to him. The sensation of being carried… blinding ultraviolet lights... pleading incoherently for them not to call his father... when asked who they should put as his contact … oh shit… he had pointed to Derek.

“Hey Hon don’t try to talk right now let me bring you something to drink... but first, I’m going to give your … uh ... Mr. Hale an update on you real quick and I’ll be back with some apple juice.”

Stiles nods stupidly at the nurse.

“He hasn’t moved from your side since he brought you to the ER. I think he’s about to worry himself silly out there pacing in the hallway. ”

The nurse disappears and Stiles can hear her clearly through the open door, but Derek’s voice is non-existent.  
  
“Yes, you can go see him now. He said you had been taking care of him though I don’t think he remembers much. He has the flu, but he also has a mild case of Pneumonia. He was severely dehydrated as you know. Legally he’s an adult so we can’t call his father because he specifically asked us not to. He gave us permission to tell you. He’s gonna need some pretty close supervision over the next 48 hours to make sure he is out of the woods. Are you up for that?” Derek looks down at this shoes and then at Stiles’. Stiles looks away from him towards the window in his room. Him and the nurse exchange some more words that Stiles’ can’t hear. “Well, I wouldn’t blame you if you did decide to call his father. There is nothing stopping you from doing it and I think he would like to know his son is sick.”

Derek nods but doesn’t respond, then walks into Stiles’ room. “You ok?”  
  
Stiles’ nods not sure how much use his voice would be at this point. Then he goes for it anyway.  
  
“I’m sorry,” he rasps out. “Some shitty roommate I turned out to be.”  
  
“It’s fine, it’s not your fault.” Derek says. “You didn’t get sick on purpose. I don’t think anyone would want to be this sick on purpose.” He looks at Stiles and Stiles sees some genuine concern on his face.  
  
“Look I know you don’t want to call your Dad, but you have pneumonia. The flu is one thing, but this is serious, you are not being fair to him or yourself by not calling him.”  
  
Stiles feels the guilt well up in him and thinks for a moment about calling his dad. Admitting he got sick in the first place and didn’t call. Telling him about an emergency run to the hospital for IV Fluids and antibiotic injections. He can hear the panic in his Dad’s voice already. He would just so much rather tell him about it after he was well… and everything was fine. So he could prove to his Dad that he was able to adult like a good adult and handle adult type things.  
  
Derek can see by Stiles mulish expression and knows he is getting nowhere.  
  
“Fine.” Derek says, “If you take another turn… I mean even a blink and I’m calling him myself. I already got his number out of your phone while you were comatose.”  
  
Stiles nods. Stung by the injustice of his phone being violated while he was unconscious. Inwardly deciding to password protect it at his first chance… preferably after his head stopped pounding. Derek asked him when he would get to check out. Stiles said in about 2-3 hours he was responding well to the IV fluids and the antibiotics seemed to be bring is white blood cell count up enough to make the doctor happy.  
  
“Ok, look I’m going back to campus to pick up an assignment for a class that I missed then I am going to come back and pick you up.”  
  
Stiles was about to argue, but then he realized he didn’t have anyone else to call unless he called his dad. The guilt that Derek had missed a class for him already today was stinging him.  
  
“Ok.”

  
***

**Heading Home**

Sure enough Derek rolls up to the ‘departure’ line at the hospital as Stiles’ is being rolled out in a wheel chair. Derek smiles with a half laugh.  
  
“Do you need help getting in the car?”  
  
“No!” Stiles barks, “I can do it myself.” which he manages, barely.  
  
Derek stands looking at stiles in the car and the door stretched wide open. Derek waits for a second and stiles gestures at the door. “What you expect me to do EVERYTHING.”  
  
Derek laughs with a huff and swings his door shut. Stiles jumps slightly as it closes. Derek laughs again.  
  
When Derek gets in the car Stiles’ is rummaging through the shopping bags in the floorboard. Derek raises his eyebrow at him gesturing at the bags like what is Stiles doing? Stiles grins and doesn’t say anything and continues digging.  
  
“You got my meds and more gatorade and SCORE popsicles! Animal Crackers??? really ??? Animal Crackers???” Stiles says the last part with indignance and holds up the little train car with colorful jungle characters on it.  
  
“You’ll need to eat something solid at some point and those are what my mom used to give me when I was recovering.”  
  
Stiles giggles and Derek raises his eyebrows. Stiles looks pale and leans back in his seat.  
  
“You ready to go home?”  Derek says. Stiles’ laughs at the thought of Derek calling their shared dorm of two weeks home.  
  
“Please.” Stiles says.  
  
When Stiles wakes up it’s to him being carried in a fireman's lift up a flight of stairs.  
  
“What are you doing?” Stiles says frustrated and groggy.  
  
“You were passed out and I didn’t think you had the steam to make it up the stairs anyway. Just be thankful and enjoy the ride.” Derek barks out, not sounding remotely winded carrying stiles, and the pharmacy bags up the four flights of stairs to their dorm. Stiles snorts. Suddenly realizing just how close he is to Derek’s ass… and how perfectly round his butt cheeks are. He is suddenly possessed with the urge to perform a drum solo on them and questions himself. He decides that he will never have this opportunity again and begins tapping them with his finger while making guitar hero style drum effect noises with his mouth.  
  
“What the hell are you doing?” Derek huffs out pausing on a step.  
  
“Enjoying the ride.” Says stiles and does not pause in returning right back to his drum solo.  
  
Derek huffs out a laugh and keeps going. He places Stiles in his Derek's own bed and Stiles starts to protest and Derek cuts him off.  
  
“Your sheets are disgusting you have sweated through them for three days. I’m taking them down to the laundry and I’m going to sleep in their tonight after I have washed and lysoled everything... to hell.”  
  
“Please don’t lysol my limited edition TIE Fighter!” Stiles says panicked.  
  
“Don’t worry, I’m more concerned with what you have actually touched for the last two days, which was let me see... your bed... and uhhh.... your bed, and oh yea, your bed.”  
  
“Thanks” Stiles says smiling weakly and he’s quickly dozing off when Derek says  
  
“Hold it… you have to take your pills before you kick off on me. Here this red one is every 6 hours and this white and yellow one is every twelve.” He forces the pills into Stiles’ hands and appears to be considering shoving them in his mouth when Stiles’ pops them himself and Derek thrusts an open bottle of gatorade at him. Stiles nods and swallows. His drum solo and his concern for his TIE fighter have drained all of his little energy.  
  
He wakes up at some point that night shivering.

“Derek!” Stiles yells loudly his voice hoarse. There is fear in his voice he’s convulsing a little.  
  
Derek comes running in.  
  
“Can you turn the heat up. It’s freezing in here.” Stiles teeth are actually chattering.  
  
Derek doesn’t smile but he seems to have expected it and says “It’s 76 in here, your fever must be back, the nurse said this would happen most likely, it means your body is trying to fight back again. I will get your comforter and some tylenol.”  
  
He comes back and tosses the comforter over Stiles shivering form and tucks in neatly around him. Hands Stiles the Tylenol and Stiles pops it convulsing and takes it with the gatorade offered.  
  
Next thing he knows Derek has disappeared and reappears dragging the mattress from his bunk into the room and props it on the floor beside Stiles.  
  
“No need to shout out again and scare the shit out of me.” Derek says. “I will be right here so you don’t have to scream if you need me.”  
  
Even in Stiles Flu addled brain something about the “need me” vs “need something” makes his skin tingle or is that the fever sweat.  
  
“Go back to sleep if you can.” Derek says.  
  
Stiles wakes up the next morning and he’s clutching Derek’s shoulder with his hand hanging off the bed. The weird part is that Derek is asleep but he is holding Stiles hand to his shoulder. Stiles slips his hand out of Derek's and makes his way to the bathroom. He pees… wait… he actually pees a lot. It feels like the first time in days. It means he is not dehydrated anymore. He feels his forehead, his fever has broken. He turns on the shower thinking how desperately he needs a hot shower, when he hears a phone ring from the other room.  
  
“Hey Sir… no it’s not a problem. I needed to be getting up anyway. Yea… he’s doing much better. Had a rough night, but I think he is finally feeling better. It sounds like he’s getting in the shower... “  
  
“Yea he’s a real trooper, ha pardon the obvious joke.”  
  
“You tried to get him to rethink the Star Wars sheets? Ha but yea seriously I think he is doing much better. I have class this afternoon, but I will text you when I check on him tonight.”  
  
“No sir, no, you don’t owe me anything. Your son’s a good guy. I could tell this was important to him. I just didn’t think I could live with myself if I hadn’t called you, just in case he had gotten worse.”  
  
“Thanks Sheriff I appreciate that. Talk to you later.”  
  
Stiles pushes the door too just as he hears Derek hang up and start to clamber up over the mattresses and the debris of supplies.  
  
Derek cracks the door. “Hey, are you alive in there.”  
  
“Yes.” Stiles hates himself for it but he can't respond more than that right now. He knows Derek did the right thing calling his dad. An emergency room visit is enough to scare most people. He should have been the one to call. He is happy his dad knows… and that he knows he is better.  
  
“Ok, look I gotta head to class soon so I’m going to run shower across the hall if the guys will let me. Don’t forget to take your pills. Red 6 hours is way past due and the white yellow every 12 is due now.”  
  
“Yes sir.” Stiles says putting more emphasis on the sir then is necessary wondering if Derek catches his tone. It’s his childish way of signaling that Derek has ratted him out.  
  
“Ok man...” Derek says with a halt in his voice “mmm feel better I’m going to move this mattress before I go. I’ll be back after dinner to check on you again. Just stay in my room and when I get back I will sort out the mattresses and wash both our sheets.”  
  
Stiles hears the rustling of the mattress from the shower, when he gets out to dry off he hears the lysol can going. A few minutes later, while he is brushing his teeth, the door shuts and he knows Derek is gone to take a shower and then off to class.  
  
Why is he so upset… about Derek calling his Dad? Is that what he was upset about? Or does he like being taken care of? No that isn’t it, he specifically did not want his dad to take care of him. His dad has never been particularly nurturing when he was sick. Typically calling Scott’s mom for help in that department. An uncomfortable knot coils in his stomach. He realizes that he is uncomfortable because he has enjoyed Derek taking care of him. He and Derek have spent relatively no time together since the start of school, but for some reason he likes Derek. I mean obviously after everything Derek has done he realizes Derek is a good guy. An ass at times, but in general he is a good guy. The nausea in his stomach has nothing to do with his flu. He brushes his teeth and crawls back in bed, Derek's bed. It smells like Derek. Stiles doesn’t understand it, it scares him a lot, but in spite of it he pops his pills as instructed. Downs half a gatorade and pulls Derek's sheet tightly around him inhaling and dozing back off. When he wakes up it’s dark and Derek is shaking him.   
  
“Wake up sleepy head it’s time for a red pill.” Derek says.  
  
“Sleepy head…” Stiles says groggily. “Geez I’m not four dude.”  
  
Derek snorts, “Says the guy with R2D2 looking at me from his comforter.”  
  
Stiles groans an annoyed sound. He sits up and allows himself to be proffered a pill and handed gatorade. Derek stands waiting for him to drink the gatorade in completion before leaving him alone.  
  
“At some point you are going to have to sit up long enough for me to wash both our sheets. You can snooze while I go get dinner.”  
  
Stiles nods not wanting to think about where he is going to get the energy to sit up for 2-3 hours while Derek washes sheets, comforters and dries them.  
  
When Derek gets back from dinner, he wakes up Stiles and pulls him onto the futon. The TV is paused with something Stiles thinks he recognizes.  
  
“What is this?”  
  
“Return of the Jedi.” Derek says.  
  
“You are watching Star Wars?”  
  
“Yea, I thought we could while our sheets are drying.”  
  
Stiles eyes Derek suspiciously. How many people had he ever gotten to voluntarily watch star wars with him.  
  
He sits down on the couch. Man he is weak.  
  
“I think you should try to eat some animal crackers. I also brought you some soup back from the cafeteria.”  
  
“I’m sorry,” Stiles says weakly. Before he can help himself his eyes are misty.  
  
“It’s just star wars and animal crackers. There is no reason to get upset…” Derek looks terrified as he says this.  
  
“I am an idiot I should have let my dad come take care of me or gone home for a week. I wanted to do this on my own and the truth is that if I didn’t have you I would be dead right now.”  
  
“Don’t say that,” Derek says, sounding freaked out.  
  
“I know you talked to my Dad and I appreciate it. I’m sorry I acted like such a dick about it. I called him when you left for dinner.”  
  
“Oh.” Derek says hesitantly. “You talked to your Dad?”  
  
“Yeah.” Stiles is stronger now mist gone from his eyes “he said he didn’t know what I did to make you like me enough to do all that you have, but he doesn’t know of any of his college friends or roommates that would have done so much.”  
  
“The worst part is I agree with him and I can’t figure out the 'why' either, Derek. We were friends in high school if you want to use that word. You used to abuse me and Scott with suicides and all kinds of other torture on the field. But, aside from that we never said two words to each other. I get here and yea I think you are a cool roommate, but still we have like known each other 2 weeks at best. Why did you wait on me hand and foot, miss classes, and drag my ass back and forth to the clinic _and_ the hospital?” Stiles is weak and all of this takes all of his energy. He pulls himself into the fetal position on the futon and looks expectantly at Derek.  
  
Derek starts talking and Derek isn’t even sure what he is saying until it’s already coming out of his mouth. “Look, at first it was just genuine concern for my roommate. I would have pushed anybody that looked like you did to go to the clinic Sunday. After, I think it was more that I respected the fact that you wanted to stick this out without your dad. I had two sisters and a mom who all were there for me when I had the first sign of sniffles. My younger sister Cora who doesn’t give a shit about anyone most of the time would baby the hell out of me when I was sick. She would deny the hell out of it too. Everyone in town knows that your mom passed away when you were young. I felt guilty about knowing that if I had been sick this week, Cora, Laura or my mom would have driven the 6 hours here that same night to take care of me. They would have made me their priority until they knew I was 100 percent again. I probably would have had to run them off. I guess I was just trying to pay it forward a little.”  
  
Derek stops most of what he says is true, but somethings nagging at him. He feels like he’s lying, but not meaning to and he doesn’t know why.  
  
Stiles looks at him somewhat appeased.  
  
“Thanks, I mean it. I owe you huge. If you ever need anything, a tissue, a tampon, a pair of fingernail clippers, I don’t have to know why and I won’t judge. I just better be the first person you call.” Stiles mumbled this all out as fast as he could.  
  
Derek laughs “Tampons? Really?”  
  
“So when can we start the movie?” Stiles says pretending to ignore Derek’s question but smiling sheepishly at the TV.  
  
Derek tells Stiles to let him go toss their sheets in the wash down stairs and he’ll be right back. When Derek comes back stiles is snoozing on the futon. He is holding the remote in his hand and has apparently hit play. Derek sits on the floor in front of him and starts watching the movie. He laughs when he realizes Stiles has polished off half the box of animal crackers and there were crumbs all over his shirt. He picks up a fresh box from beside the table and starts to munch on them.  
  
Derek is thinking that he needs to go toss their sheets in the dryer, but it’s the scene where Jabba takes Luke prisoner and Derek is invested. Suddenly stiles hand is clutching at the back of Derek’s shirt and Stiles is mumbling in his sleepy voice. “...sheets smell good… smell like Derek…”  
  
Derek freezes and his face is beet red. He angles around and sees Stiles is very much asleep. His creeping heat subsides a little. It was an innocent enough pronouncement Stiles had just made. So he liked the way Derek smells so what. Time to go check on those sheets. He slips from Stiles grasp and walks down to the basement to toss the sheets in the dryer.   
  
When he comes back Stiles is awake drinking his gatorade bottle.   
  
“Why didn’t you wake me? You almost let me miss the best part.” Stiles says.  
  
“You need your rest. Besides, we have all semester to watch it again,” Derek says. He’s not sure why he feels the need to placate Stiles when it’s obvious he’s better.  
  
Stiles is beaming, a genuine smile that Derek hasn’t seen before. “Ok, I’ll let it go then. You ready for me to hit play?”  
  
“After you take your white and yellow pill and a red pill.” Derek says walking over and rattling a bottle at Stiles from the table by the futon.  
  
“I already did.” Stiles says smiling incredulously. “I’m not a complete invalid. Though I do appreciate the reminder.”  
  
“Do I need to count them?” Derek says and huffs.  
  
“NO!” Stiles says indignantly, “Now sit down so I can hit play. Your beefy ribcage is blocking my view of Princess Leia in her gold bikini.” Derek snorts and plops down on the Futon next to Stiles.  
  
The futon is small there isn’t that much space between them. Stiles hits play and Derek slumps to watch with his elbow, arms and shoulders rubbing against Stiles side giving him a tingling sensation that he’s not sure about. He straightens back up but it’s useless against the vinyl futon. He gives up and allows the weird tingling sensation Stiles arm is causing him to just be.  
  
They watch the last part of the movie and Derek heads back downstairs to get their sheets. When he comes back Stiles is snoring. He’s not sure why he does it but he moves Stiles mattress back into Derek's room and makes both beds. He walks over to the couch to rouse Stiles and Stiles is drooling onto his t-shirt. Derek picks him up and hauls him into his bedroom. Stiles rouses slightly and says “Not again!” and had just started tapping on Derek’s butt when he is hoisted into bed and quickly has the comforter pulled over him. “Sweet clean sheets! I love clean sheet day.” Stile rambles half awake. Derek walks back into the living room turns off tv lights and walks back into his room to see stiles eyes peering at him.  
  
Stiles is coherently awake now. “So we bunking together again?” Stiles voice is pleasant and not at all accusatory though Derek stutters when he starts to respond.  
  
“Y-Yea, I just want to keep an eye on you one more night. Your Dad will hold me responsible if anything happens to you.” Stiles accepts Derek’s statement at face value.  
  
“Cool, just making sure I was in the right room.”  
  
Derek peels of his shirt and track pants. He crawls into bed next to Stiles. Clean sheets are great. Sleeping next to Stiles is great. What is Derek doing? He pushes the thoughts out of his mind. He likes Stiles. He never had friends this close back in Beacon Hills or here at college. It was fun watching Star Wars with Stiles and his over animated commentary. He was just a cool old/new friend and Derek was excited to have him around that’s all.  
  
The next morning Derek wakes up and Stiles is in the shower. There’s a pang of disappointment that Stiles beat him up again though Derek has no idea why. He texts the Sheriff that Stiles is doing much better and Sheriff responds with gratitude.  
  
 _If stiles isn’t running on his steam at this point let me know. I will come watch him over the weekend. I’ve already asked one of the guys here to be on standby to cover for me._  
  
Derek types back quickly. _No need he’s flying solo at this point. Just wanted to make sure you knew._  
  
…  
  
 _Thanks Derek. We owe you big. You need anything you let us know. My son was very lucky to end up with you as a roommate_.  
  
Derek smiles slightly at his phone. Stiles’ Dad’s approval means a lot to him for some reason.  
  
Stile gets out of the shower and Derek gets up. Bangs on the door.  
  
“You done in there Stilinski!? Other people have class to actually go to!”  
  
“Geez Derek way to scare the hell out of me. I’m almost done. One minute.”  
  
“I gotta pee! Hurry up!”  
  
“Fine!”  
  
Stiles Jerks the door open and Derek is standing there in his boxer briefs and Stiles showered and dripping in a white towel. Derek grins.  
  
“Really, Derek you're so five years old. You get me out of the shower just for the hell of it.”  
  
“No, I really did have to pee, but I may have gotten enjoyment out of it!”  
  
He skirts past as Stiles is trying to pop Derek with the hand towel as he slides across the slick floor into the loo closet.  
  
Derek shuts the door to the toilet and he can hear stiles at the sink and when he goes to pee he realizes he’s semi-erect. Derek flushes a little. What the hell? Stiles pops me with a towel and I throw wood. Not cool, he says to himself and a rush of memories of the last few days flies through his head. Hand on shoulder, the first night, the flush he got when Stiles grabbed his shirt, the fact he didn’t want to sleep away from Stiles. Derek was crushing on Stiles. With the flush that creeps and the panic he quickly loses his erection and his bladder starts to drain. He thanks god he doesn’t have to walk past Stiles with an erection. Though he’s worried about the site of Stiles in his towel now. Great the erections back. OK.

Derek backs out of the loo closet and sidles past Stiles with no real attention from Stiles, back in his room he starts to get ready for class.

Stiles walks back in.  
  
“Aren’t you gonna shower before class man?”  
  
“I’ll shower when I get back.” Derek is being a little cold with his tone.  
  
“Ok man. Hope I didn’t make you late or anything.”  
  
“It’s fine. I just need to get going.”   
  
The space that Derek didn’t want last night he suddenly wants right now. He needs to get away from Stiles until he figures out why his body and mind are betraying him all of a sudden.  
  
When Derek gets back that night the suite has been cleaned. Derek's room is cleaned and even laundry has been done. Stiles bed is missing from Derek’s room, which pains Derek but also relieves him.  
  
Derek turns around and Stiles has just walked back in the room with another load of laundry in his arms.  
  
“Look man. I hope I didn’t make you late this morning or make you have to miss a shower.””  
  
“No man don’t worry about it.” Derek huffs out.  
  
“Ok, well I did some of your laundry for you and it’s on your bed I also rewashed your sheets and lysoled the hell out of your room. I am probably going back to class Monday and it’s going to be a bitch after being out for a week.”  
  
“Sounds good.”  Derek says distractedly.  
  
“Ok… “ Stiles says not sure what’s going on. “Well I’m sure you have stuff you need to work on. I am going to read through my syllabus for my classes and see what I can try and do this weekend.”  
  
The next two weeks fly by. Derek is making up for his missed classes and missed study hours caring for Stiles. Stiles is making up for a full weeks worth of missed classes and assignments. Most of his professors were understanding. Stiles made his follow up appointment at the clinic and was given a clean bill of health. Derek’s attitude had gone back to more of his week one demeanor. He was huffing more and never smiled in Stiles’ presents. Stiles’ at first coughed it up to his bedside manor is just more friendly than his regular personality. Stiles was used to Derek the asshole from the lacrosse field. He still felt a loyalty to Derek that wasn’t going to change.  
  
“Hey Stiles.”  
  
“Hey Dad.”  
  
“How are you feeling?”  
  
“Fine Dad. It’s been over a week since the clinic gave me the all clear. I sent you a picture of the return to class notice they gave me for my professors. You can stop worrying.”  
  
“I will never stop worrying about you kid. How’s Derek?”  
  
“What do you mean?”  
  
“I mean how is he? I just assumed you guys must still be pretty close after he bent over backwards to take care of you.”  
  
“Honestly, I think we have both been so busy with school we have not said two words to each other all week.” Stiles knows this is a lie. He has tried to talk to Derek several times and gotten shot down. He doesn't know why. He doesn't want to talk to his dad about it since he thinks Derek hung the moon and it would sound petty to say Derek wasn't paying him any attention after spending a solid week caring for him.   
  
“Well you should tell him when you get back to town I want him over for dinner one night. No excuses.”  
  
“Yes sir.” Stiles resigns himself to the fact that he will deliver the message but he’s not sure how Derek will respond.  
  
“Is something wrong between you guys?”  
  
Stiles resolve falters, “I honestly don’t know Dad. I might have pissed him off somehow, but I’m not sure what I did. I have done his laundry for him three times now to say thanks for saving my bacon. I don’t know what else I can do.”  
  
“He’s probably just busy and stressed. He is a senior. His course work is probably a lot to handle. Don’t worry about it. When things calm down, I’m sure he will calm down too.”  
  
“Yea ok Dad. Look I need to go. Cafeteria stops serving in 30 min.”  
  
“Ok son, love you.”  
  
“Love you too.”  
  
…  
  
Another week passes and Stiles is tired of the not talking and the weird avoidance pattern Derek has developed.

Stiles' is eyeing Derek from their built in desks both of them with textbooks and laptops sprawled out. “I checked your schedule and you are free this weekend and you promised me we could re-watch Return of the Jedi together. No excuses and I’m buying dinner.”  
  
Derek looks up his eyebrows are furrowed. “Okay Stilinski, fine.”  
  
“No not ‘Okay Stilinski, fine.’ it’s more of a ‘yeah, Stiles, that sounds awesome. Lets hang out while you are not mucusy pile of fever and death’ Geez! Anything would have been better than that.”  
  
“Sorry.” He huffs out. Derek’s eyebrows are furrowed more seriously now but with no anger. “Not sure what you want me to say.”  
  
“I just told you what I want you to say.” Stiles can’t help himself he is half grinning now that he sees Derek isn’t genuinely mad.  
  
Stiles is looking at him tapping his pencil and Derek won’t look in his direction. Stiles decides to be brave he leans forward puts his hand on top of Derek’s head spins it to face him and grabs Derek’s mouth flapping Derek’s cheeks as though he’s talking. “Yeah, Stiles, that sounds awesome. Lets hang out while you are not a mucusy pile of fever and death”.  
  
Stiles dies laughing and Derek looks nasty. Stiles face is almost falling out of his chair with laughter when Derek grabs the back of Stiles head and Stiles knows only a moment of fear before Derek is kissing him. Stiles resists for a second. Derek Hale is kissing him. Holy Shit. Then Stiles closes his eyes and kisses Derek back. Derek kisses him deeply for a solid 2 minutes before pulling away.  
  
“Was that okay?” Derek looks terrified.  
  
“That was amazing… though I think I could have upped my game a bit if you had warned me.”  
  
“I have wanted to do that since the fourth day you the flu.”  
  
“I’m glad you at least waited till I wasn’t a mucusy pile of fever and death.”  
  
Derek huffs and rolls his eyes.  
  
“There’s the Derek from the last two weeks. Whew for a minute I thought I had lost you. Lets recap, you just kissed me. Have you been being a playground bully to me for two weeks cause you were crushing on me?”  
  
Derek is mute, just looking at Stiles with his eyebrows furrowed.  
  
“Dude you could have said something to me. Anything? Even as much of an ass as you were to me in high school I always thought you were smoking hot. Then after you were so nice to me while I was sick I was totally crushing on you. Then you went and killed it with your 6 year old mentality of dating.”  
  
Derek snorts in spite of the situation. “Every time you belittle me with age I get a year older.”  
  
“Shut up. You know what I mean.” Stiles says annoyed.  
  
“I’m gonna kiss you again now.” Derek says and Stiles next words are garbled as Derek presses his lips to stiles lips. Stiles relaxes and leans forward into Derek.  
  
Stiles pauses only for a second. “So wait does this mean Saturday is a real date now?”  
  
Derek rolls his eyes turns Stiles whole chair with him towards where Derek is now angled at Stiles'. Derek grabs the back of Stiles' head and starts kissing him again.  
  
“Or kis-sing, ki-ssi-ng i-s f-ine.” Stile’s mumbles into Derek's mouth and Derek pops Stiles on the back of the head to be quiet. “ay-yy-y…” Stiles says. But he relents, closing his eyes and grabs Derek’s shoulder and waist for support.   
  
Thank god for the flu. Stiles thinks quietly and to himself.

 


End file.
